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United States Patent and Trademark Office 



JWJTED STATES DEPARTMENT Of COMMERCE 
United Slain Punt od Tradtmirk otlice 
Adter COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS 
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Akumfru, Vtrsnil22JIJ-l«S0 



APPLICATION NO. 



FILING DATE 



FIRST NAMED INVENTOR 



{ ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. | CONFIRMATION NO. J 



09/993,647 



11/27/2001 



Bemd Riedl 



7590 



12/23/2004 

MILLEN, WHITE, ZELANO & BRANIGAN, P.C. 
2200 CLARENDON BLVD. 
SUITE 1400 

ARLINGTON. VA 22201 



BAYER 18A 



1010 



EXAMINER 



J 



RAO. DEEPAK R 



ART UNIT 



PAPER NUMBER 



1624 

DATE MAILED: 12/23/2004 



Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. 



PTO-90C (Rev. 10/03) 




United States Patent and Trademark Office 



Commissioner for Patents 
United States Patent and Trademark Office 
P.O. Box 1450 
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 
www.usplo.gov 



MAILED 

DEC 2 3 2004 
GROUP 1600 

BEFORE THE BOARD OF PATENT APPEALS 
AND INTERFERENCES 



Application Number: 09/993,647 
Filing Date: November 27, 2001 
Appellants): RIEDL ET AL. 



Richard J. Traverso 
For Appellant 



EXAMINER'S ANSWER 



This is in response to the appeal brief filed September 3, 2004. 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 
Art Unit: 1624 



Page 2 



(1) Real Party in Interest 

A statement identifying the real party in interest is contained in the brief. 

(2) Related Appeals and Interferences 

A statement identifying the related appeals and interferences which will directly affect or 
be directly affected by or have a bearing on the decision in the pending appeal is contained in the 
brief. 

(3) Status of Claims 

The statement of the status of the claims contained in the brief is correct. 

(4) Status of Amendments After Final 

The appellant's statement of the status of amendments after final rejection contained in 
the brief is correct. 

The amendment after final rejection filed on September 3, 2004 has been entered. 

(5) Summary of Invention 

The summary of invention contained in the brief is correct. 

(6) Issues 

The appellant's statement of the issues in the brief is correct. 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 3 

Art Unit: 1624 

The rejection under 35 U.S.C. 1 1 2, second paragraph is hereby withdrawn in view of the 
amendment to claim 68. 

Regarding the provisional obviousness-type double patenting rejection over claims 68-98 
of copending application 10/042,203, it was indicated in the Interview Summary (May 6, 2004) 
that "if the ODP is the only rejection left and the other application is not issued, the rejection will 
be reconsidered favorably". 

(7) Grouping of Claims 

Appellant's brief includes a statement that claims 68, 74, 80, 81, 87 and 93 do not stand 
or fall together and provides reasons as set forth in 37 CFR 1.192(c)(7) and (c)(8). 

(8) Claims Appealed 

The copy of the appealed claims contained in the Appendix to the brief is correct. 

Note: Appendix B correctly lists the appealed claims, however, does not contain a 
complete listing of all of the claims in the application, including those that have been previously 
cancelled. Accordingly, a complete listing of all claims is correctly written in the Appendix to 
the Examiner's Answer. 



(9) Prior Art of Record 

WO 99/32463 



Miller 



7-1999 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 ' Page 4 

Art Unit: 1624 

(10) Grounds of Rejection 

The following ground(s) of rejection are applicable to the appealed claims: 
1. Claims 74, 80, 81, 87 and 93 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1 12, first paragraph, because 
the specification, while being enabling for the treatment of carcinoma of colon, does not 
reasonably provide enablement for all other diseases mediated by RAF kinase. The specification 
does not enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly 
connected, to use the invention commensurate in scope with these claims. 

The instant claims are drawn to the treatment of 'disease mediated by RAF kinase' and 
according to the specification, the compounds are useful in the treatment of tumors and/or 
cancerous cell growth mediated by RAF kinase, see specification page 2, lines 5-17. Further, the 
specification discloses several types of cancers, e.g., solid cancers, myeloid disorders, adenomas. 
First, the instant claims cover 'diseases' that are known to exist and those that may be discovered 
in the future, for which there is no enablement provided. Further, no compound has ever been 
found to treat cancers of all types generally. Since this assertion is contrary to what is known in 
medicine, proof must be provided that this revolutionary assertion has merits. The existence of 
such a "silver bullet" is contrary to our present understanding of oncology. Cecil Textbook of 
Medicine states that "each specific type has unique biologic and clinical features that must be 
appreciated for proper diagnosis, treatment and study" (see the enclosed article, page 1004). 
Different types of cancers affect different organs and have different methods of growth and harm 
to the body. Also see In re Buting, 163 USPQ 689 (CCPA 1969), wherein 'evidence involving a 
single compound and two types of cancer, was held insufficient to establish the utility of the 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 5 

Art Unit: 1624 

claims directed to disparate types of cancers'. Thus, it is beyond the skill of oncologists today to 
get an agent to be effective against cancers and/or diseases mediated by RAF kinase in general. 

In evaluating the enablement question, several factors are to be considered. Note In re 
Wands, 8 USPQ2d 1400 and Ex parte Forman, 230 USPQ 546. The factors include: 1) The 
nature of the invention, 2) the state of the prior art, 3) the predictability or lack thereof in the 
art, 4) the amount of direction or guidance present, 5) the presence or absence of working 
examples, 6) the breadth of the claims, and 7) the quantity of experimentation needed. 

1) The nature of the invention: Therapeutic use of the compounds in treating several types of 
cancers, which include solid cancers, myeloid disorders, adenomas, etc. 

2) The state of the prior art: There are no known compounds of similar structure, which have 
been demonstrated to treat all types of cancers. 

3) The predictability or lack thereof in the art: Applicants have not provided any competent 
evidence or disclosed tests that are highly predictive for the pharmaceutical use of the instant 
compounds. Pharmacological activity in general is a very unpredictable area. Note that in cases 
involving physiological activity such as the instant case, "the scope of enablement obviously 
varies inversely with the degree of unpredictability of the factors involved". See In re Fisher, 
427 F.2d 833, 839, 166 USPQ 18, 24 (CCPA 1970). 

4) The amount of direction or guidance present and 5) the presence or absence of working 
examples: There are no doses present to direct one to protect a potential host from the disorders 
embraced by the instant claims nor there are doses given for the treatment of the disorders 
recited. The specification provides assays (see pages 94-96) to test the compounds in vitro and 
discloses that the compounds exhibit RAF kinase inhibitory properties. However, there is no 



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Art Unit: 1624 

demonstrated correlation that the tests and results apply to all of the disorders embraced by the 
instant claims. 

6) The breadth of the claims: The instant claims embrace the treatment of all diseases mediated 
by RAF kinase. See In re Vaeck, 947 F.2d 488, 495, 20 USPQ2d 1438, 1444 (Fed. Cir. 1991). 

7) The quantity of experimentation needed would be an undue burden to one skilled in the 
pharmaceutical arts since there is inadequate guidance given to the skilled artisan, regarding the 
pharmaceutical use, for the reasons stated above. 

Thus, factors such as "sufficient working examples", "the level of skill in the art" and 
"predictability", etc. have been demonstrated to be sufficiently lacking in the use of the 
invention. In view of the breadth of the claim, the chemical nature of the invention, the 
unpredictability of ligand-receptor interactions in general, and the lack of working examples 
regarding the activity of the claimed compounds, one having ordinary skill in the art would have 
to undergo an undue amount of experimentation to use the invention commensurate in scope 
with the claims. 

2. Claims 68, 74, 80, 8 1 , 87 and 93 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1 03(a) as being 
unpatentable over Miller et al., WO 99/32463. The reference teaches a generic group of 
compounds which embraces applicant's instantly claimed compounds. See formula I in page 7 
and corresponding species in pages 15-16 drawn to 5-tert-butyl-2-methoxyphenyl ureas and 5- 
trifluoromethyl-2-methoxy-phenyl ureas. The compounds are taught to be useful as 
pharmaceutical therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases including cancer, see page 6-7. 
The claims differ from the reference by reciting a specific species and/or a more limited genus 



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Art Unit: 1624 

than the reference. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art 
at the time of the invention to select any of the species of the genus taught by the reference, 
including those instantly claimed, because the skilled chemist would have the reasonable 
expectation that any of the species of the genus would have similar properties and, thus, the same 
use as taught for the genus as a whole i.e., as pharmaceutical therapeutic agents. One of ordinary 
skill in the art would have been motivated to select the claimed compounds from the genus in the 
reference since such compounds would have been suggested by the reference as a whole. It has 
been held that a prior art disclosed genus of useful compounds is sufficient to render prima facie 
obvious a species falling within a genus. In re Susi, 440 F.2d 442, 169 USPQ 423, 425 (CCPA 
1971), followed by the Federal Circuit in Merck & Co. v. Biocraft Laboratories, 847 F.2d 804, 
10 USPQ 2d 1843, 1846 (Fed. Cir. 1989). 

3. Claims 68, 74, 80, 81, 87 and 93 are provisionally rejected under the judicially created 
doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-67 (or 
currently pending) of copending Application No. 10/042,203. Although the conflicting claims 
are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the instantly claimed 
compounds are substantially embraced by the reference claims. The reference disclosed urea 
compounds that are useful as therapeutic agents. One of ordinary skill in the art would have 
been motivated to select the claimed compounds from the genus in the reference since such 
compounds would have been suggested by the reference as a whole because the skilled artisan 
would have had reasonable expectation that any of the compounds would have had the same use 
taught for the genus as a whole. 



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Art Unit: 1624 

This is a provisional obviousness-type double patenting rejection because the conflicting 
claims have not in fact been patented. 

(11) Response to Argument 

Claim Rejections - 35 U.S. C. 112 
Appellant's arguments have been fully considered but they were not deemed to be 
persuasive. Appellant first asserts that 'the specification provides a number of publications that 
have correlated the inhibition of RAF kinase with the inhibition of the growth of a variety of 
tumor types'. However, contrary to applicant's assertion, the state of the art references do not 
establish a therapeutic method for the treatment of cancerous cell growth mediated by RAF 
kinase generally. See e.g., Kolch (Nature 1991) provides that RAF-1 inhibitors blocked 
proliferation of specific oncogenes. Monia (Nat. Med. 1996) also provided a role of RAF kinase 
in the development of specific types of malignancies. None of the state of the art references of 
record expressed a single therapeutic approach for treating cancerous cell growth generally by 
administering a single class of compounds. Further, the state of the art is not indicative of the 
fact that treatment of all types of cancerous cell growth or solid cancers mediated by RAF kinase 
is conventional or well known. The cited references are too speculative. The references are 
specific with respect to limited types of cancerous growth or malignancy. 

Appellant argues that 'no evidence has been presented to refute the findings or 
conclusions made in the publications'. However, as explained above, the findings and 
conclusions in the cited publications with respect to inhibition of RAF kinase and the application 
of such activity for specific types of cancerous growth. The instant claims, on the other hand, are 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 9 

Art Unit: 1624 

drawn to several types of cancers affecting different organs and having different methods of 
growth or harm to the body, and different vulnerabilities. The development of the most 
efficacious strategy for the treatment of cancers is based on understanding the underlying 
mechanisms of carcinogenesis. This includes the knowledge that the carcinogenic process is a 
multi-step, multi-mechanism process and that no two cancers are alike, in spite of some apparent 
universal characteristics, such as their inability to have growth control, to terminally 
differentiate, to apoptose abnormally and to have an apparent extended or immortalized life span. 
Since tumor promotion phase involves multiple mechanisms, there is no existence of a single 
therapeutic approach. The instant claims recite 'solid cancers, carcinomas, myeloid disorders or 
adenomas' as the cancers 'mediated by RAF kinase', however, the art does not identify a single 
class of compounds that can treat all these types of cancers generally. 

Further, one skilled in the art of cancer therapy recognizes that there are complex 
interactions between individual genetic, developmental state, sex, dietary, environmental, drug, 
and lifestyle factors that contribute to the carcinogenic process, making it even more challenging 
to have a single therapeutic agent for the treatment of diverse cancers. For example, breast 
cancer is quite different from liver cancer and even not all breast cancers are identical to each 
other. Rigorously planned and executed clinical trials, incorporating measurement of appropriate 
biomarkers and pharmacodynamic endpoints are critical for selecting the optimal dose and 
schedule. A detailed understanding of the molecular mode of action of the RAF kinase inhibitors 
alongside the elucidation of the molecular pathology of individual cancers is required to identify 
tumor types and individual patients that may benefit most from treatment. It is also important to 
construct a pharmacologic audit trail linking molecular biomarkers and pharmacokinetic and 



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Art Unit: 1624 

pharmacodynamic parameters to tumor response endpoints. There are cancers where the skill 
level is high and there are multiple successful chemotherapeutic treatments. In many, many 
cancers, however, there is no chemotherapy whatsoever available. This establishes the 
difficulties involved in the treatment of cancers. The various references of record have been 
fully considered, however, it is maintained that appellants have not provided sufficient test 
assays or data to support the method of treatment commensurate in scope with the claims, as of 
the filing date of the application. 

Appellants next direct attention to specification pages 10-14 and argue that 'it would at 
most involve routine experimentation for one of ordinary skill in the art to treat any one of the 
recited cancers with a compound of the invention'. However, the specification does not enable 
any physician skilled in the art of medicine, to use the compound of the invention commensurate 
in scope with the claims. The specification broadly describes administration procedures and 
ranges of dosage regimen, however, it is indicated that the method of administration and/or the 
dose levels depend on a number of factors, which have to be evaluated by one of ordinary skill in 
the art. These factors include a) determining which of the claimed compounds would treat any 
particular claimed disease; b) synthesize the compound; c) formulate into a suitable dosage form 
depending the type of administration method; and d) conduct clinical trials or test the compound 
in an assay known to be correlated to clinical efficacy of such treatment. The specification pages 
94-96 provide assays to determine the activity of the compounds, however, appellants have not 
asserted that it is art recognized that the assays are correlated to clinical efficacy for treatment of 
all types of cancerous cell growth mediated by RAF kinase. There is no working example of 
treatment of any disease in man or animal. The state of the clinical arts in does not provide any 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 1 1 

Art Unit: 1624 

chemotherapeutic agent which effective against cancers in general or those mediated by RAF 
kinase. There is no known chemotherapeutic drug which would target and destroy only cancer 
cells without adverse effects or toxicities on normal cells. 

Appellants cite several case laws and argue that the enablement requirement is satisfied. 
This is not seen to be the case. For example, contrary to what appellants urge by citing In re 
Marzocchi,M>9 USPQ 367, the examiner has provided both reasoning including the nature of the 
invention which is directed to an unpredictable art, citation of case law as well as relevant 
publication to support the reason for the rejection. Appellants have not identified any state of the 
art references that clearly establish correlation between the assays employed in the specification 
and clinical efficacy for the treatment of the claimed diseases. Where the utility is unusual or 
difficult to treat or speculative, the examiner has authority to require evidence that tests relied on 
are reasonably predictive of in vivo efficacy by those skilled in the art. See for example In re 
Ruskin 148 USPQ 22 1 ; Ex parte Jovanovics 2 1 1 USPQ 907. 

Appellants cite In re Brana and argue that 'the specification provides in vitro and in vivo 
assays (in pages 94-96) based on which one of ordinary skill in the art can determine the activity 
of each of the claimed compounds in treating various cancers. Appellant's reliance on tiiie Brana 
decision is erroneous since the facts were different in more than one respect from the instant 
case. Compounds on appeal were of a much narrower scope and there were no method claims. 
Said compounds were similar in structure to compounds displaying in vivo anti-tumor activity 
based on art-recognized in vivo tests and also tested favorably in an in vivo test. Thus, contrary to 
Brana it is not evident that at the time of appellant's effective filing that RAF kinase inhibitors 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 1 2 

Art Unit: 1624 

having such a diversity of susbtituents on analogous urea compounds are well known for treating 
cancers urged treatable based simply on assay testing relied on herein. 

Based on the fact situation of the instant application, In re Buting, 163 USPQ 689 (CCPA 
1969) (cited in the previous office actions) Is on point and more applicable to the instant claims 
wherein 'evidence involving a single compound and two types of cancer, was held insufficient to 
establish the utility of the claims directed to disparate types of cancers. The judges in that case 
indicated that "We are not aware of any reputable authority which would accept appellant's two 
clinical cases as establishing utility for treatment of cancer in humans. As was pointed out in 
Brenner v. Afanson, 148 USPQ 689, a process to be patentable must produce a useful result and 
be of substantial utility not merely of scientific interest or for further testing. In this case further 
testing seems necessary". 

In summary, appellants have not provided any evidence of record that the instantly 
claimed compounds can effectively be used in the treatment of all types of cancers mediated by 
RAF kinase and therefore, it is maintained that one having ordinary skill in the art would have to 
undergo an undue amount of experimentation to use the invention commensurate in scope with 
the claims. 

Claim Rejections - 35 (JSC § 103 
Appellant's arguments have been fully considered but they were not deemed to be 
persuasive. Appellant first argues that the method claims are not obvious over Miller et al., WO 
99/32463 because the method claims recite treatment of a cancerous cell growth mediated by 
RAF kinase as compared to the reference which deals with treatment of p38-mediated disease 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 



Page 13 



Art Unit: 1624 

states. This is not found to be persuasive because Miller reference clearly teaches the use of 
diphenyl urea compounds in the treatment of various diseases (see starting in page 6) including 
cancer, lymphoid malignancies, etc. (see page 7) which are the same diseases intended by the 
instantly claimed methods, see claims 80, 81 , 87 and 93. Thus, the reference teaches the 
administration of the same compounds to the same patient population. Applicant argues that the 
reference does not provide treatment of cancerous cell growth mediated by RAF kinase. This is 
not found to be persuasive because as explained above, Miller et al., lists therapeutic uses of the 
compounds in treatment various diseases including cancer. Therefore, the reference inherently 
teaches the instantly recited activity or mode of action of inhibition of RAF kinase activity. The 
instant claims recite a mode of action of RAF kinase activity, which is a property inherently 
possessed by the compounds of the reference. This biological property is inherently possessed 
by the reference compounds particularly because the compounds are used in the same therapeutic 
applications as recited in the instant claims. The properties possessed by the compounds, 
whether explicitly or inherently, can not be separated from the compounds itself. 

Appellant further argues that the reference does not provide any direction to make the 
selections necessary to arrive at the claimed compounds. This is not found to be persuasive 
because the reference clearly teaches the genus encompassing the claimed species and further 
expressly provides compounds that are structurally analogous to the claimed compounds. The 
reference (WO 99/32464) teaches a generic group of compounds represented by formula I: 



B-NH 




NH-A 



I 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 
Art Unit: 1624 



Page 14 



wherein A is 




and B is phenyl substituted by -Q-Ar wherein Q is -O-, etc. and Ar is 5-10 membered aromatic 
structure having 0-2 ring members as heteroatoms, which aromatic structure is optionally 
substituted by Zm wherein Z is -OR 7 , -C(0)NR 7 R 7 , etc. and nl is 0-3 (see pages 7-9). The 
reference further teaches many species falling within the above genus, see e.g., the compound N- 
(5-Trifluoromethyl-2-methoxyphenyl)-N'-(4-(3-G v I-niethylaminocarbonyl)- 
phenyloxy)phenyl)urea (page 16, lines 6-7). The structural formula of the compound is depicted 
below for convenience: 



MeNH- 




O 



Further, the reference discloses several other compounds that are structurally analogous, see the 
compounds in Table 1 . See for example, compound 34 in page 73, which differs from the 
instantly claimed compound of N-(5-tert-butyl-2-methoxyphenyl)-N'-(4-(4-methoxy-3-(N- 
methylcarbamoyl)phenoxy)phenyl)urea ) (the first compound in claim 64) by the -C(=0)-NHMe 
substituent on the terminal phenyl group. 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 



Page 15 



Art Unit: 1624 



Claimed compound : 



Reference compound 34 : 





Similarly, the second claimed compound is structurally analogous to compound 101 (page 79) of 
the reference. The reference clearly provides that the aromatic ring (i.e., phenyl, pyridinyl, etc.) 
can be substituted by Zni wherein nl is 0 to 3 and Z definition includes -C(0)NR 7 R 7 wherein R 7 



the phenyl is substituted by-C(0)NHMe group, see page 16, lines 6-7 (structure depicted 
above). Therefore, contrary to appellant's arguments, the reference clearly teaches compounds 
that are structurally analogous to the instantly claimed compounds and thus, the reference 
provides sufficient motivation to one of ordinary skill in the art to prepare compounds having the 
N-methylcarbamoyl substituent. 

Appellants cite In re Baird and argue that the genus of the reference is not sufficient to 
establish a prima facie case of obviousness for a species thereof. This is not found to be 
persuasive because the decision in Baird was based on a very large genus encompassing millions 
of compounds vs. a small number of claimed species, "[A] disclosure of millions of compounds 
does not render obvious a claim to three compounds, particularly when that disclosure indicates a 
preference leading away from the claimed compounds." 29 USPQ2d 1552. While the instant 
case involves a genus, the reference also discloses several compounds that are structurally 
analogous to the reference compounds, of which at least three are compared to applicant's - 
claimed compounds (see the discussion above). Thus, the reference teaches structurally 



is H, alkyl, etc. see page 9, lines 1-9. Further, the reference also provides a compound wherein 



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Art Unit: 1624 

analogous compounds which are disclosed to be useful as therapeutic agents. Therefore, 
motivation exists to prepare other structurally analogous compounds from the prior art disclosed 
genus. Such structural analogs of the reference compounds would have been obvious to one of 
ordinary skill in the art because the skilled chemist would have had the reasonable expectation of 
obtaining compounds having similar properties, i.e., pharmaceutical therapeutic agents. 
Reference must be considered, under 35 U.S.C. 103, not only for what it expressly teaches but 
also for what it fairly suggests; all disclosures of prior art, including unpreferred embodiments, 
must be considered in determining obviousness. In re Burckel, 201 USPQ 67 (CCPA 1979). 

Appellants cite In re Jones to overcome the obviousness rejection. However, Jones dealt 
with the obviousness of a particular claimed ammonium salt based on a generic teaching of 
"substituted ammonium salts" with no Markush recitation for particular moiety, aminoethoxy 
ethanol, the salt on appeal. Secondary references applied in Jones were deemed not properly 
combinable with the generic disclosure in the primary reference since the references were not all 
from the same art area. Unlike the situation in Jones, the instantly claimed compounds are 
expressly taught in a single reference (Miller), which genetically discloses all the elements of the 
instantly claimed species. Further, the instantly claimed species vary from the reference 
disclosed compounds only by a single ring substituent (-C(O)NHMe) which is also specifically 
taught for the reference compounds. Thus, the reference provides sufficient motivation for the 
ordinary artisan to modify the reference compounds to arrive at the instantly claimed compounds 
because one of ordinary skill in the art only needs to make one change to the reference disclosed 
compound to arrive at the instantly claimed compound. 



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Art Unit: 1624 

Appellant argues that 'nothing in the reference's general disclosure suggests that 
compounds 34 and 101 should be modified as required to arrive at the claimed compounds'. 
Contrary to this argument, as explained above, the reference clearly teaches 0 to 3 substituents 
on the ring which include hydrogen, methoxy, methyl, chloro, phenoxy, N-methylcarbamoyl, 
etc., thus providing the equivalence of these groups. Thus, the reference clearly provides 
motivation to one of ordinary skill in adding a substituent to the expressly disclosed reference 
compound. 

It is to be noted that rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 is proper where the subject matter 
claimed "is not identically disclosed or described" in the prior art, and the prior art directs those 
skilled in the art to the compounds, without any need for picking, choosing, and combining 
various disclosures. See In reShaumann etal., 572 F.2d 312, 315, 316, 197 USPQ 5, 8, (CCPA 
1 978). Where the specific compound falls within the ambit of a "very limited number of 
compounds", the fact that a specific embodiment is taught to be preferred is not controlling, 
since all disclosures of the prior art, including unpreferred embodiments, must be considered." 
In re Lamberti, 545 F.2d 747,750, 192 USPQ 278, 280 (CCPA 1976). "The question under 35 
U.S.C. 103 is not merely what the reference expressly teaches but what it would have suggested 
to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made." 

"Structural relationships provide the requisite motivation or suggestion to modify known 
compounds to obtain new compounds." See In re Duel, 51 F.3d at 1558, 34 USPQ2d at 1214. 
The closer the physical and chemical similarities between the claimed species or subgenus and 
any exemplary species or subgenus disclosed in the prior art, the greater the expectation that the 
claimed subject matter will function in an equivalent manner to the genus. See In re Dillon, 919 



Application/Control Number: 09/993,647 Page 1 8 

Art Unit: 1624 

F.2d at 696, 16 USPQ2d at 1904. "An obviousness rejection based on similarity in chemical 
structure and function entails the motivation of one skilled in the art to make a claimed 
compound, in the expectation that compounds similar in structure will have similar properties." 
In re Payne, 606 F.2d 303, 313, 203 USPQ 245, 254 (CCPA 1979). 



Double Patenting 

The provisional rejection of claims 68, 74, 80, 81, 87 and 93 under judicially created 
doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting over claims 68-98 of copending application No. 
10/042,203 is maintained for the reasons of record. Appellants did not present any arguments for 
this rejection. Appellants do not traverse this rejection but rather request it to be held in 
abeyance until the case is in otherwise in condition for allowance. However, the rejection must 
still be maintained pending the outcome of the instant appeal and/or the allowance of the 
copending case, which is currently under a final rejection. 

For the above reasons, it is believed that the rejections should be sustained. 



Application/Control 
Art Unit: 1624 



Number 



09/993,647 



Page 19 



Respectfully submitted, 




Primary Examiner 
Art Unit 1624 



Deepak Rao 
November 19, 2004 



Conferees: 





1 . Jarhes 0< Wilson 

iervisory Patent Examiner 



2.4osepn McKane 



asepr 

Supervisory Patent Examiner 



MILLEN, WHITE, ZELANO & BRANIGAN, P.C. 
2200 CLARENDON BLVD. 
SUITE 1400 

ARLINGTON, VA 22201 



APPENDIX 



Listing of Claims : 

Claims 1-67 Canceled. 

68. A compound selected from 

//-(5-ter/-butyl-2-methoxyphenyl)-A^'-( 4 -( 4 - m ethoxy-3-(A r - 

methylcarbamoyl)phenoxy)phenyl)urea, 

7V-(2-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-A^'-(4-(2-(A'-methylcarbamoyl)-4- 
pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea, 

^(4-cWoro-3-(trifluoromemyl)phenyl)-A^'-(4-(2-carbamoyl-4-pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea, 
Ar-(4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-A r '-(4-(2-N-methylcarbamoyl)-4- 
pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea; and 

Af-(2-methoxy^chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-A^'-(3-(2-N-methylcarbamoyl)-4- 

pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea, 

or a mixture thereof. 

Claims 69-73 Canceled. 

74. A method for the treatment of a cancerous cell growth mediated by RAF kinase 
comprising administering one or more compounds which are: 
A^-(5-/erf-butyl-2-methoxyphenyl)-A''-(4-(4-methoxy-3-(A'- 
methylcarbamoyl)phenoxy)phenyl)urea, 



A L (2-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-A^'-(4-(2-(//-methylcarbamoyl)-4- 
pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea, 

A^-(4-chIoro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-/^X4-(2-carbamoyl-4-pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea, 
A'-(4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-Ar'-(4-(2-N-methy]carbamoyl)-4- 
pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea; or 

A/-(2-methoxy^-cWoro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-AT'-(3-(2-N-methylcarbamoyl)-4- 
pyridyloxy)phenyl)urea. 

Claims 75-79 Canceled. 

80. A method as in claim 74 for the treatment of solid cancers. 

81. A method as in claim 74 for the treatment of carcinoma, myeloid disorders or adenomas. 
Claims 82-86 Canceled. 

87. A method as in claim 74 for the treatment of carcinoma of the lung, pancreas, thyroid, 
bladder or colon. 

Claims 88-92 Canceled. 

93. A method as in claim 74 for the treatment of myeloid leukemia or villous colon 
adenomas. 



Claims 94-98 Canceled.